PHNOM PENH (AFP)--Cambodia's U.N.-backed war crimes court Friday delayed the Khmer Rouge head of state's appeal for release from jail after his famed lawyer Jacques Verges failed to appear at proceedings.
Khieu Samphan stood in court and said Verges hadn't traveled from Paris to attend his appeal ahead of the trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"In order to make sure that the pretrial chamber hears my comments fully according to the law, I would like to request that the pretrial chamber adjourn this meeting to a later date," Khieu Samphan said.
Frenchman Verges, who has acted for some of the world's most infamous figures including Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Venezuelan terrorist "Carlos the Jackal," is known for attempting to sew confusion in the courtroom.
After a short recess, Judge Prak Kimsan said the appeal would be adjourned until Apr. 3, noting that it was in Khieu Samphan's interest to deal with the matter as soon as possible.
During proceedings, co-defense lawyer Sa Sovan called the situation "unexpected" and said a relative of Verges had an emergency operation. But after the hearing he told reporters it was an important colleague in hospital.
"I actually think that Jacques Verges wanted to take part in proceedings," Sa Sovan said.
A fierce anti-colonialist, Verges, who was born in Thailand, reportedly befriended Khieu Samphan and other future Khmer Rouge leaders while at university in Paris in the 1950s.
Up to two million people were executed or died of starvation and overwork as the communist regime emptied Cambodia's cities, exiling the population to vast collective farms in its bid for a communist utopia.
The long-awaited first Khmer Rouge trial started last week when the regime's notorious prison chief, Kaing Guek Eav, better known by the alias Duch, went before the court.
The appeal for release from detention for former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary was also delayed this week until early April after his lawyers said he was to ill to attend proceedings.
Khieu Samphan stood in court and said Verges hadn't traveled from Paris to attend his appeal ahead of the trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"In order to make sure that the pretrial chamber hears my comments fully according to the law, I would like to request that the pretrial chamber adjourn this meeting to a later date," Khieu Samphan said.
Frenchman Verges, who has acted for some of the world's most infamous figures including Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Venezuelan terrorist "Carlos the Jackal," is known for attempting to sew confusion in the courtroom.
After a short recess, Judge Prak Kimsan said the appeal would be adjourned until Apr. 3, noting that it was in Khieu Samphan's interest to deal with the matter as soon as possible.
During proceedings, co-defense lawyer Sa Sovan called the situation "unexpected" and said a relative of Verges had an emergency operation. But after the hearing he told reporters it was an important colleague in hospital.
"I actually think that Jacques Verges wanted to take part in proceedings," Sa Sovan said.
A fierce anti-colonialist, Verges, who was born in Thailand, reportedly befriended Khieu Samphan and other future Khmer Rouge leaders while at university in Paris in the 1950s.
Up to two million people were executed or died of starvation and overwork as the communist regime emptied Cambodia's cities, exiling the population to vast collective farms in its bid for a communist utopia.
The long-awaited first Khmer Rouge trial started last week when the regime's notorious prison chief, Kaing Guek Eav, better known by the alias Duch, went before the court.
The appeal for release from detention for former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary was also delayed this week until early April after his lawyers said he was to ill to attend proceedings.
5 comments:
If you voted for CPP (Cambodian People's Party):
Also known as:
Communist People's Party
Khmer Rouge People's Party
Khmer Krorhorm People's Party
You're support the killing of 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples in Cambodia.
You're support the killing of innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997 in Cambodia.
You're support assassination of journalists in Cambodia.
You're support political assassination and killing in Cambodia.
You're support attemted assassination and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.
You're support corruption in Cambodia.
You're support murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire).
You're support Hun Sen Regime burn poor people's house down to the ground and leave them homeless.
These are the Trade Mark of Hun Sen Regime.
Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are Khmer Rouge commanders.
When is the ECCC going to bring these three criminals to U.N. Khmer Rouge Trail?
Khmer Rouge Regime is a genocide organization.
Hun Sen Regime is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Bodyguards is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Death Squad is a terrorist organization.
Cambodian People's Party is a terrorist organization.
I have declare the current Cambodian government which is lead by the Cambodian People's Party as a terrorist organization.
Whoever associate with the current Cambodian government are associate with a terrorist organization.
3:26
who you are ?
Anonymous said...
You are motherfucker always talking about your own people everyday.You like a dog.You asshole never talked make Cambodia country going up.So you asshole always follow the foriegner idea than your fucking own people.
I wish you will die soon in the future,because you never thougth your fucking your mom life
the KR lawyers are only hurting themselves and cambodia in the action. really, think about it! who in their right mind would not want cambodia to find justice for what we all know, was injustice under the stupid, idiotic KR regime! you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out! god bless cambodia.
I dissagreed. There is no such thing as lawyer hurting themself. Lawyer doesn't give a rat's ass for anyone. They are in it for the money. The more they can get you to fight each other, the more moneys, they will make, and the more happy they are.
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